Wildomar officials, residents ponder future downtown

Wildomar should focus efforts on developing a town center around Central and Palomar streets, three City Council members agreed in a workshop last week.

The workshop's goal was to get a consensus on a downtown concept from the five-member council and the Planning Commission, which is down to three members because of term expirations.

Getting the envisioned official participation didn't happen, however, as Mayor Tim Walker and Councilwoman Marsha Swanson had to excuse themselves from the discussion because they live near the proposed city center sites under consideration. Commissioner Stan Smith also removed himself from the discussion for the same reason, forcing the remaining commissioners to exit as well because of the lack of a quorum.

Nonetheless, the session went on with council members Bridgette Moore, Bob Cashman and Ben Benoit at the table.

What Wednesday's meeting may have lacked in official presence, it made up for in public participation as about 50 residents showed up to review and discuss town center concepts created by a consulting team with public feedback.

"It's a planner's dream to have so many people in the planning process," Planning Director Matthew Bassi told the audience.

Before the official proceedings took place, residents and officials gathered in the lobby to view sketches of three different concepts RBF Consultants created for a downtown focused on Central and Palomar. They also presented a drawing showing how an alternative core area dubbed West Wildomar could be configured farther north at Mission Trial and Corydon Street.

Through a grant awarded to Wildomar by the Southern California Association of Governments, the association hired RBF to work with the city in developing a vision for a town center that unites commerce with community activity and entices visitors.

Founded in the late 1800s, Wildomar was primarily a collection of farms and ranches without a strong commercial and social focus. From a historical standpoint, however, Central and Palomar streets have been the main crossroads.

Wildomar resident Karl Nordgren was among those examining the planning concepts who didn't necessarily believe the core area should be an "old town" as labeled by the consultants, but he favors going forward with the concept.

"It's a real interesting first step," he said. "We do need to get some business development going. ... It gets the ball rolling. That's important."

The current of opinion seemed to sway against the alternative to Central and Palomar. It would consist of a triangle of land wedged between Mission Trail and Corydon, the street that separates southern Lake Elsinore from Wildomar.

RBF's idea was to capitalize on a plan to extend Bundy Canyon Road across Mission Trial to Corydon and make that a focal point of commercial and civic development.

Community activist Gil Rasmussen was among several who questioned promoting development on the fringe of Lake Elsinore as well as in an area prone to flooding.

"Why would you build a community center in a flood zone?" he said.

Speaking to the council as a resident and not in his capacity as a planning commissioner, Robert Devine said the West Wildomar concept would muddle the city's identity.

"If we're looking at a civic center for citizens of Wildomar, I believe the area around Palomar and Central is better suited for that," he said.

The three council members supported that sentiment.

"That (Corydon corridor) is not in any sense part of historical Wildomar in terms of what people think of as the core area," Cashman said.

They directed the consultants to come up with a final blueprint focused on Central and Palomar that would include a central community gathering place at the intersection, commercial development opportunities and street scape designs with historical precedents and plenty of shade.

"If you don't have shade in Wildomar, you're in trouble," Cashman said.